Page 56 of Olivia's Only Pretending
“I know, you have work in the morning. Thanks for coming, anyway,” Lucy said as she wrapped her arms around me for a hug.
“It was so great to meet you,” Jeff said after Lucy released me from her arms.
“You, too,” I said.
He was still sitting on the couch with Mom. The two of them had been chatting like old friends. Mom looked at me with a question in her eyes, and I gave her a little nod of approval.
“Drive safe, honey,” Mom said as I made my way toward the door.
I was retrieving my purse from the coat stand by the doorway when Victor walked up behind me.
“Can I walk you out?”
“Of course,” I said, trying to sound normal. Another charade. Nothing felt normal between us.
As Lucy’s front door shut behind us, the crisp night air blew through my hair. I rubbed my arms for warmth as we paced down the front steps.
“Sorry if I crossed the boundaries during charades,” Victor said, his voice low and sincere. “On the spot like that, I couldn’t think of another way to act it out, but then I saw how it shook you up. I was sitting there the rest of the game, realizing all these other ways I could’ve acted it out that didn’t involve holding you in my arms.”
I stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk and grabbed his elbow. “You don’t need to be sorry. You didn’t cross any boundaries. If anyone did, it was Lucy Rhodes for putting that phrase in the hat.”
“She probably hoped it would be her and Adam who got it.” Victor chuckled. The night sky twinkled with stars overhead.
“Whatever her intention, I know yours. We were just playing a game.” I tucked the cuffs of my sweater sleeves over my fingers. “You always handle me with care, Vic.”
We started walking again. My car was parked a few paces down the sidewalk.
“I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay, Liv.”
I couldn’t hide from Victor. It was like seeing me was a secret talent of his, the way some people immediately understand the keys of a piano. He knew something was off with me all night.
“Iamfeeling okay. How are you feeling?” I said, wanting to make sure he was doing okay through all this confusion.
Victor messed with the zipper on his leather jacket. “I’m great. I got to hang out with you and your family. Watch Mama Rhodes make a love connection in there.”
That made me laugh. Leave it to Victor to find a way to break the tension a little. “They were really clicking, huh? When he mimed the Bible, I swear she had hearts popping out of her eyes,” I said.
“I think she was smitten the minute he said Kenny G.”
“Yeah. Tonight was pretty fun,” I said.
The two of us stopped in front of my Prius parked along the pavement. I should walk to my driver’s side door, say goodbye, and wave at him like I would any other friend. But one thing was completely clear in the midst of all my muddled thoughts and feelings: Victor Hernandez was not just any other friend.
I looked down at my ankle boots.Do we hug goodbye?Is that too much? Should I try for an awkward side hug?We always hugged goodbye.
Going in for a hug felt weird.Notgoing in for a hug felt weird.
Victor sighed resignedly, slipping his hands into his pockets. A car sped down the street, headlights streaking through the dark.
I glanced up to find him already looking down at me. His eyes were creased in that familiar, thoughtful way of his. He was reading me like a favorite book, pages he knew, passages underlined and highlighted.
There was something heavy in the air between us. It felt like there was more to say, but I didn’t know how to say any of it.
“Olivia,” he said, his voice surprisingly commanding. “Good night. Drive safely.”
I bit my lip, pulling open my car door. “Good night. Thanks for being my charades partner.”
“Honestly, I might think twice before being your partner again. We were in dead-last place,” he said as I slid into my driver’s seat.
